One Day Too Late
by IamCharlie
Summary: This is a song-fic inspired by the song "One Day Too Late" by Skillet. It is about Percy's realization that he needs his family. I strongly suggest you listen to the song  it's on YouTube  either before or during reading!


One Day Too Late

A _Harry Potter_ song fic inspired by _One Day Too Late_ by Skillet

Percy threw down his quill. _This is useless_, he thought. The Minister of Magic had asked him to re-copy some notes that were nearly unreadable but Percy couldn't stay focused.

"I wonder what my family is doing right now," he said to himself. After a few moments of imagining their whereabouts he grabbed his cloak and apparated to Hogsmeade.

_Tick tock hear the clock countdown__  
><em>_Wish the minute hand could be rewound__  
><em>_So much to do and so much I need to say__  
><em>_Will tomorrow be too late_

_Feel the moment slip into the past__  
><em>_Like sand through an hourglass__  
><em>_In the madness I guess I just forget__  
><em>_To do all the things I said_

He had been thinking about his family more and more often. Oh, how he missed his mother's cooking; and her smiles, always bright and genuine. Percy knew he broke his mother's heart but he was too proud to go and make amends. He even missed Fred and George and their silly pranks. And Bill was married now, and Percy didn't even go to the wedding. What a self-centered fool he'd been!

Percy walked down the street he had apparated to, and knocked softly on an old rotting door. Aberforth's bright blue eyes greeted Percy on the other side of the door frame.

"I wash hoping you'd show up!" Aberforth said.

Percy had made a habit of coming to visit him to get news. The Ministry usually tried to keep its workers in the dark. Usually Aberforth was quite light-hearted but Percy could sense the strain in his voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"There's a war going on at Hogwarts," Aberforth said bluntly, "They will need your help."

Percy's heart sank. These were the words he was hoping _not_ to hear. "How can I get there?" he asked faintly.

"Follow me."

Aberforth walked over to a large portrait on the wall and it swung open, like a door. "This tunnel leads directly to the castle. You remember the Room of Requirement, don't you?" He didn't wait for Percy to answer, but instead just shoved him through the small door.

Percy plunged into the darkness. "This better not lead me right into the battle," he muttered. He held his wand high, just in case, and whispered, "lumos," to expel some of the darkness.

Before he knew it, he had reached the other end of the tunnel and practically fell right out of it. He regained his footing and took in his surroundings.

His mother, father, sister, and three of his brothers were staring at him. There were other people in the room, but Percy only had eyes for his family.

_Your time is running out__  
><em>_You're never gonna get it back__  
><em>_Make the most of every moment__  
><em>_Stop saving the best for last_

What could he say? The words "I'm sorry" got lost in his throat. Those two words seemed so weak, useless.

"Hi," he said stupidly, "Am I too late?"

No one responded.

Percy noticed to other people in the room were talking, but he couldn't even make sense of the words. "I was so stupid!" he roared. He looked at his mother. "Please forgive me. I was so thoughtless… I-I…" He fought back tears.

Fred smiled. He _smiled_! Why was he smiling? Percy had never felt so awkward before in his life.

"I was wondering when you would come around," Fred said, and held out his hand.

Percy walked forward to shake it and Fred pulled him into a hug.

Tears were streaming down Percy's face now. "I-I would've come sooner, but I had to be careful, working for the ministry and all. They're imprisoning anyone that the suspect of switching sides."

Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. She ran to Percy and kissed him on the cheek. He felt like the Prodigal Son, returning home.

When his father stepped forward for a hug, Percy knew he was forgiven.

_Time passes by__  
><em>_Never thought I'd wind up__  
><em>_One step behind__  
><em>_Now I've made my mind up_

_Today I'm gonna try a little harder__  
><em>_Gonna make every minute last longer__  
><em>_Gonna learn to forgive and forget__  
><em>_'Cause we don't have long, gonna make the most of it_

_Today I'm gonna love my enemies__  
><em>_Reach out to somebody who needs me__  
><em>_Make a change, make the world a better place__  
><em>_'Cause tomorrow could be one day too late__  
><em>_One day too late__  
><em>_One day too late_

Nearly an hour later, Percy was running down the corridor, beads of sweat on his face. He leaned against the wall and looked around the corner. He saw a tall, dark figure coming towards him, and he held up his wand.

"Put that wand down," Fred hissed, "you're gonna hurt someone!"

"Sorry, thought you were a Death Eater."

"Death Eater my b-"

Percy cut him off. "Fred, look behind you!"

Fred turned, nodded, and took up a dueling stance beside his older brother.

"Let's get 'em," he whispered.

Percy sent a silent disarming spell towards one of the Death Eaters, who deflected it easily.

All at once, spells were flying in every direction. The Death Eaters were getting closer, and Fred and Percy were backing up.

Harry, Ron and Hermione flew in beside them shooting beams of light at the masked men.

One curse nearly hit the taller of the two, and he backed away. His hood fell back, revealing the Minister of Magic.

"Oh, hello minister," Percy said, nonchalant, "I forgot to tell you that I'm quitting."  
>Fred stopped dueling and stared, slack-jawed, at his brother. "Do mine ears deceive me? Or did you actually just make a joke?" He grinned widely.<p>

Percy just shrugged, and returned his attention to the battle at hand.

Fred was really laughing now. He couldn't believe Percy actually _joked_.

"Fred, watch out!" Percy bellowed.

Fred spun around, and a green jet of light hit him square in the chest. His body crumpled to the ground.

"Nooooo!" Percy yelled. He sent a final jet of light towards the Death Eaters, putting them off for the moment. He knelt down next to his brother's body. "Why?" was all he could say, and he was oblivious to Hermione and Harry trying to console he and Ron. For the second time that night, tears were streaming down his face.

His only comforting thoughts were that he had gotten to see his brother one last time, and that Fred died the same way that he lived most of his life; with a smile on his face.

_Tick tock hear my life pass by__  
><em>_I can't erase and I can't rewind__  
><em>_Of all the things I regret the most I do...__  
><em>_Wish I'd spent more time with you_

_Here's my chance for a new beginning__  
><em>_I saved the best for a better ending__  
><em>_And in the end I'll make it up to you, you'll see__  
><em>_You'll get the very best of me_


End file.
